UK has recently lost its 90% of Ash trees due to an infection ‘Ash Dieback’. This has led to great environmental loss and has posed a threat to the environment of Britain. A similar kind of devastation caused the death of 30 million elms in 1970 due to Dutch Elm disease.
Scientists have isolated the genes of these trees and working to develop fungus resistance in them through genetic transformation. This might save them from Ash Dieback but may not save them from killer insects like Emerald Ash Borer Beetle.
This impending threat was recently highlighted in a journal which was published under Journal State. Since Ash is one of the most common growing trees in Britain, the potential threat is to save these trees from the Emerald Ash Borer Beetles too.
Efforts are taken by Government organisations and universities so as to differentiate and sequence the vast variety of around 38,852 trees of Ash trees which are found in Gloucestershire.
Scientists are trying to transform the genes in a way that they can resist both, the Ash Dieback disease and the attach from Emerald Ash Borer Beetles. The recent breakthrough is still welcomed warmly by everyone in Britain with the determination to plant this new variety of Fungus-Resistant Tree in large numbers.
The alarming threat of fungus is spreading widely and attacking the native trees of Britain, but the efforts taken by scientists are welcomed and appreciated.
